Labor groups seek SC intervention on wage hike TROs

Kamanggagawa Partylist Rep. Eli San Fernando along with various labor groups submitted a petition to the Supreme Court to review and invalidate the temporary restraining orders (TROs) that were issued on the mandated P85 wage hike in the National Capital Region (NCR).

In their appeal, the labor leaders sought for the high court to set a legal precedent for the issue, hoping that the court could “put an end” to the “bad example” that the filing of the TROs had when it came to the future wage increases.

“If we allow companies to block mandates through a court injunction, we can also expect that proposed wage increases for provinces would also be frozen by big companies one by one,” San Fernando said in Filipino.

As stated in the petition for certiorari and prohibition, the groups argued that the blockade in the wage order was causing “irreparable damage” to the working class, particularly as it indicated that there were more than 1.1 million minimum-wage workers in the country.

Reiterating the “unjust” nature of the court’s decisions, the petition likewise stressed that low-income families were made to miss meals while the companies that have sought for the suspension simply kept the money that could have otherwise gone to a worker’s sustenance.

For San Fernando, the issuance of a TRO from the Pasig and Navotas Regional Trial Courts (RTC) were unwarranted, particularly as they had no jurisdiction on the matter.

Groups that have questioned the RTCs decision have cited Article 124 of the Labor Code wherein it was indicated that organizations that sought to challenge wage orders must do so through the National Wages and Productivity Commission rather than a trial court.

“It is the first time in history that a Petition for Declaratory Relief at the RTC would be used against a mandated wage order. The Supreme Court must release a clear decision to serve as guidance and a warning for courts and lawyers to avoid using technicalities to deny workers a decent livelihood,” the solon said.

On Wednesday, the labor groups appeared at the Supreme Court to voice their concerns on the example that the wage hike could set.